Early-Summer Soup by Olivia Coleman

With the arrival of gardens and farmers markets, what’s more appropriate than making a delicious, scrumptious, veggie-filled recipe?

For warm days, with occasional cooler nights, a soup is a great option as it tastes great served hot or as cold leftovers. It’s always a good idea to come up with the recipe on your own. For instance, I would make sure my favorite album is playing (if it’s not already clear, I’m a music aficionado). Listening to my favorite songs encourages me to be creative, as the music helps inspire me to add my own flavors. I may even choose a piece to sing along to!

Try to cook mindfully and pay attention to everything you do. Notice how it looks and smells to chop the veggies. As you slice, see how the bold colors of summer are finally arriving. Though the brown of mushrooms and the orange of the carrots remind us of winter, the green of the zucchini and the tantalizing scent of the herbs bring us to the bountiful present.

With their bright and beautiful colors, veggies are truly the creativity of the earth. Notice how nature offers contrast naturally. If you see that you are eating every color, you automatically know that the meal is more balanced.

Ingredients

1 large onion, chopped
1 medium shallot – chopped
1 parsnip – peeled & chopped
4 carrots – peeled & chopped
1 medium zucchini – chopped
2 stalks of celery – chopped
1 cup mushrooms – chopped
16 oz of vegetable broth
1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes
juice from 1 small lemon
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon chopped fresh herbs
1 teaspoon combined celery seed & basil
salt & pepper, to taste

First chop the veggies into bite-size pieces. Chopping is very relaxing, you need to give each action complete attention and move slowly.

Sautee the onions and the shallots—onions smell pungent—they smell just as sour as they taste when they’re raw. When cooking, you can hear them sizzle as they sweeten.  

Then chop and cook the rest of the vegetables: parsnips, carrots, zucchini, mushrooms.

Sauté all the veggies before you add the broth, enjoy your developing creation while you pour it in. Then set your table with care. Choose a favorite color tablecloth and set beautiful flowers on the table too.

Now, take a moment to offer thanks for this scrumptious meal.

After you take the first few bites, notice the wonderful taste and feeling it leaves you with. Share your thoughts with those around you, or take a quick note if you’re eating alone and get specific about what ingredients you like best. I encourage you to take a picture too. Nothing says summer like a picture of a beautiful colorful and delicious meal.

 

 

Comments

What a wonderful idea - soup in summer! I love soup and think I some how shouldn't have soup when it's not cloudy and raining. This inspires me to throw off the shackles and indulge in one of my favorite foods. Thank you.

:) absolutely!